Mainers who subscribe to the Dish Network satellite TV service lost Portland’s ABC station from their lineup Tuesday night because of a contract dispute, but got it back Wednesday.

WMTW (Channel 8) was removed because of a dispute between Dish and the owners of WMTW, Hearst Television Inc.

Dave Abel, president of WMTW, said that as of around noon Wednesday the dispute between Hearst and Dish had been resolved and that WMTW was back on Dish Network. WMTW is one of 29 TV stations across the country owned by Hearst.

WMTW officials issued a statement Wednesday saying the dispute was not over money, but over other unspecified terms of the contract. Cable and satellite TV providers pay networks and stations for the rights to carry their programming.

No one from Dish Network was available for comment. In the past, Dish Network has said it does not disclose how many subscribers it has in a particular state, or region.

Disputes between TV stations or networks and cable or satellite providers have become increasingly common, as both feel the heat of competition from online streaming of TV shows and other technologies.

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In the summer of 2012, a dispute between Hearst and Time Warner Cable kept WMTW out of the Time Warner lineup in Maine for 10 days.

This story will be updated.

Staff Writer Ray Routhier can be contacted at 791-6454 or at:

rrouthier@pressherald.com


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